I'm raising funds to send a 100 girls to see the movie Hidden Figures in January. And if possible would like give each girl the book as well as most people know I'm a big advocate for literacy. All the proceeds will go towards the ticket purchases and books. I will accept direct ticket donations from AMC 24Regency as well and gift cards from a local bookstore to order or purchase the books. Our date for the screening will be January 21, 2017 at AMC Regency.

The tickets are $12 each, a kids snack pack (kids drink, popcorn and gummies) is $7.25 each and the book is $16.99 each. No taxes included.

But let me give you a little background on why I'm doing this.

On December 15, 2016, I got the opportunity to attend The White House Hidden Figures in Space Exploration and view a special screening of the upcoming movie, Hidden Figures which hits all theaters January 6, 2017.

HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

After seeing this incredible movie, hearing from the cast, words of wisdom from The First Lady, Michelle Obama, and meeting Katherine Johnson's daughter and grandson, I left D.C. feeling incredibly inspired to pay it forward for some girls in my community to have a special viewing as well. But not just girls of color all girls from all walks of life in my city who may have the courage to dream BIG and not let what they can't see or as my idol Dr. Jemison says, "be limited by others limited imagination", see this movie.

As a girl of color, it's important that girls not only look at the stars but take the steps to reach for them; because many years ago a group of black women marched into a room as programmers and changed the game not only of space exploration but broke gender barriers as well. Now in 2016 we have a deficit in this field. So, How'd that happen? So I think in 2017, we have to work on how to change that. I believe seeing this movie will give us girls the inspiration we need to say I can be can be a mathematician, an engineer or better yet an astronaut! Besides #STEMforALL for right? And we definitely got the #STEMGirlSWAG to do it with your help!

STEM is hard work but we must explain to our girls that there will be times when you may fail but keep trying. We can't allow our girls to feel that STEM is only for boys. We have to do more. I feel that one way to do that is providing ways girls can see other women or girls who look like them in roles of STEM. And Hidden Figures is one way to get that conversation rolling!

Let's show our girls and youth in Duval that they are strong, intelligent and can be whatever they want to be with faith, hard work and support! And hope to see you at the movies!!